BOSTON – On a bright, warm Monday, thousands of people gathered to watch and cheer for runners participating in the 128th Boston Marathon. Starting from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, racers covered 26.2 miles before reaching the finish line in Boston.  Sho Watanbe who placed fourth in the men’s wheelchair division. (Shiara Naveen/YJI) Since 1975, the Boston Marathon has included a wheelchair division and since then, the race has kicked off with wheelchair racers, while the start time for runners shortly after. “I love the feeling of people coming from all over the country,” said Aram Russell ..read more

Copenhagen, DENMARK – Early this morning, Børsen, the iconic 400-year-old former Danish stock exchange building caught fire. The landmark structure is partially destroyed and was still burning at 7:30 p.m. There were no reports of injuries. The spire, uniquely decorated with images of dragons, caught fire and collapsed into the building. Throughout the day, crowds of people gathered around the police cordons to see the fire officers attempt to put out the blaze. Wind carried the thick black smoke, sometimes burning onlookers’ eyes and leaving clothes smelling of smoke.  The blaze in the m ..read more

Taipei, TAIWAN  – Throughout my life, I’ve joined or attended quite a few international organizations, summer camps, and seminars. The other attendees would introduce themselves by city and country: Chicago, the U.S., Barcelona, Spain, Tokyo, Japan, and so on. I can imagine their cities, from popular media, a vague impression, or even a visit.  Nobody knew Taipei, Taiwan unless they were interested in world politics. Even if they did, they knew of China’s threats and the powerful semiconductor industry that Taiwanese people jokingly call the “Mountain that protects the nation ..read more

Canton, Connecticut, U.S.A. – Titanic. Rarely do I venture into the realm of movies that are new to me – I mostly prefer the comfort of movies that I’ve already watched. But James Cameron’s cinematic masterpiece managed to captivate my attention from the start and has since been an all-time favorite. With an impeccable blend of history, romance and tragedy, complemented by the stellar performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, Titanic undoubtedly deserves the 11 Oscars it received. Released in 1997, the film transports the viewers back to the fateful night of April 14, 1912, when the ..read more

Karachi, PAKISTAN – After Ramadan, the Muslim holy month during which the faithful fast from sunrise to sunset, comes the much-awaited Eid-al-Fitr. The author gets mehndi applied. (YJI photo) This is an Islamic holiday celebrated for three days to mark an end to a season of fasting, prayers and reflection and signals a feast observed with gratitude and joy. The holiday is announced after the sighting of a brand new crescent moon in the sky – something which everyone waits for with bated breath. Due to the presentation of the moon, Eid can take place across varied timelines between countries. I ..read more

Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A. – I have never seen an eclipse before. I know the concept, even a kid in elementary school does. The moon does its lap around the Earth so many times that at some point, because of a certain angle and time, it aligns perfectly so that it momentarily blocks the view of the sun. Simple. And yet after today, I can confidently say that my ‘‘Things To Do Before I Die’’ checklist has one line crossed off:  watching an eclipse. Not that we had a full eclipse where I watched it. Amherst, Massachusetts got approximately 94% of what a full eclipse would look like. You ..read more

Urbana, Illinois, U.S.A. – University of Illinois students heard Monica Lewinsky speak Monday about her regrets of the past and hope of societal change in the future. With no standing room allowed, students arrived an hour early to wait in line to be one of the 300 to listen to Lewinsky. A former White House intern, Lewinsky became famous for the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal in the 1990s. President Bill Clinton’s admission to having a sexual relationship with Lewinsky from 1995 to 1997 contributed to Clinton’s impeachment in 1998. Lewinsky fell silent and went into personal hiding in hopes of lett ..read more

Copenhagen, DENMARK – This afternoon police put the security checkpoint at Copenhagen Kastrup Airport into lockdown due to a suspicious object in the transit zone. For two and a half hours, departing passengers could not pass through the security checkpoint starting about 1:30 p.m. Danish time, according to a statement from the airport. The beginning of the exclusion zone, guarded by a police officer. (Noah Haynes/YJI) Lise Agerley Kürstein, a spokeswoman for the airport, said police were informed after a “suspicious object” was found at the security checkpoint. They closed thre ..read more

Midlothian, Texas, U.S.A. – Today’s solar eclipse was an event to behold for the many that were lucky enough to experience it and worth the wonder that it managed to inspire in so many people. At first, nothing was really noticeable. It was a normal sunny day that could be flipped on its head by just looking up at the sun using the world’s most dysfunctional sunglasses. It was still very hot here in Texas and wearing formal wear for an unrelated event definitely made that fact even harder to ignore. Slowly, the temperature began to drop and as it did, the awe of seeing the shape of the moon co ..read more

Viktorie Goldmannová/YJI Click on the image to see more ‘Postcards from Prague.’ PRAGUE  – I first plastered on the Lennon Wall in Prague in the summer of 2019, during the height of the anti-extradition law protests at home in Hong Kong. Four years later, I revisited the political mural during Youth Journalism International’s Global Conference, only to face a puzzling sea of streetwear brands stickers and celebrity posters. I wondered whether the graffiti in support of Hong Kong’s democracy movement was buried, replaced or erased.  It may be more comforting to think of the Lennon Wal ..read more